Self-reversing rotary pump



Jan. 13, 1953 L. FINCHER} SELF-REVERSING ROTARY PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1949 Fl-6.l

LOUIS FINCHER INVENTOR.

1i aw ATTORNEYS FIG Jan. 13, 1953 L. FINCHER. 2,625,105

SELF-REVERSINC ROTARY PUMP Filed June 10, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUIS Fl H IN N R.

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ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1953 FINCHER SELF-REVERSING ROTARY PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10, 1949 LOUIS FINGHER ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1953 L. FINCHER SELF-REVERSING ROTARY PUMP '5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 10, 1949 3 M 7 x MF g m M 2 f H3 m 6 u u a m 5 u I 0 2. v t. m QR m .9- E & F 1 a W Jan. 13, 1953 L. FINCHER SELFFREVERSING ROTARY PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 10, 1949 FIG. l3

$6.1 Vim Patented Jan. l3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-REVERSING ROTARY PUMP Louis Fincher, Lufkin, Tex.

Application June 10, 1949, Serial No. 98,287

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a self-reversing pump in which the direction of fluid flow therethrough is reversed upon each revolution of the inner housing of the pump. It is an object of this inyention to provide a pump of this class which may be employed in a pumping unit employed in pumping fluid from wells, as oil wells.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of this class which delivers fluid into, and takes fluid from, the cylinder of such a pumping unit to actuate the piston therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which the inner housing is driven from the same shaft as the impeller and at a different rate of speed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which the direction of flow of fluid therethrough is reversed by virtue of the relative rotation between the inner housing and the impeller.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which deceleration at the end of the stroke is obtained by the building up of fluid pressure operable within the inner housing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which acceleration is obtained by the gradual increase of port communication between the inner housing and the outer housing as the return stroke commences.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which a valve operates within an inner housing passage to bypass fluid to circulate exclusively within the in- ,ner housing at substantially the end of a piston stroke.

It is a further object of this invention to providea pump of this class which is adapted to dedischarge fluid from an outer housin'g by a rotatable pump within a rotatable inner housing, such rotatable pump being any type of conven tional pump as either an exterior or interior gear type pump, a cam type pump, a radial plunger pump, or a vane type pump.

It is a further object of this invention to pro vide a pump of this class which has an outer housing provided with an adjustable boss by which the pump may be regulated to discharge more fluid in one direction than in the opposite direction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide pump of this class in which the ports in the inner, rotatable housing are larger than the bosses on the outer stationary housing so that there is a gradual reversal of direction of flow through the pump; the ports in the rotatable inner housing never being completely closed by the bosses.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a pump of this class in which a rotatable inner housing is driven by any type of transmission at a slower rate of speed than is the impeller means within such housing.

Other'and further objects of this invention will be apparent when the drawings are considered in connection with the'specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one embodiment of the invention taken along line I-l of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are sectional elevations, and also diagrammatic views illustrating the flow of fluid through the pump; these figures being taken along line l-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are sectional elevations, and also diagrammatic views illustrating the flow of fluid through the pump; these figures being views taken along line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is an elevation showing the pump of this invention employed to actuate a piston in the power cylinder of an oil well pumping unit; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view taken along line I3-l3 of Fig. 12.

The pump has an outer housing I of non-circular cross-section, such cross-section amounting to substantially an oval or an ellipse. This housing has fluid connections 2 and 3 on diametrically opposed sides thereof and which has a shaft 4 journaled in the outer housing I, the axis of which passes substantially transversely of the axis through the connections 2 and 3. Bosses 5 and B extend radially inwardly from the outer housing and have surfaces 1 and B which form arcs of a circle centered at the shaft axis. The inner housing is mounted, as will be hereinafter described, with axis substantially perpendicular to the common axis through the fluid connections 2 and 3, and substantially centrally thereinbetween. As the inner housing is substantially circular in cross-section, a substantially crescent shaped space is provided on either side of the bosses 5 and 6 with the crescent tips adjacent the bosses. Thus structures which may be termed slots 9 and ii! are formed in the housing to communicate with connection 2, and extend in decreasingly tapered size inwardly to terminate at the bosses 5 and 5. Also, slots II and [2 are formed in the housing I and extend from connection 3 in decreasingly tapered size to terminate at the bosses 5 and 6.

An inner housing 55 is mounted on the shaft 4 and has an opening 46 therein which eccentrically surrounds the impeller H, which is also mounted on the shaft A; the impeller I! being of the vane type with vanes 18 operable in slots l9, which are radially spaced from the impeller and shaft axes, which axes are in coincidence. Ports 2| and 22 in the inner housing l5 open outwardly through the housing periphery and communicate inwardly with the opening E5.

The inner housing (5 has a cored passage 23 therethrough on one side thereof, which extends in arcuate shape of irregular cross-section between the port 2| and the port 22. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner housing has a threaded hole 24 through the side thereof to receive the bushing 26, which has a. central bore 21 therein in which the stem 23 of the valve 29 reciprocates. The spring 30 is based in an annular groove 3| in the bushing 26 and bears against the valve 29 to seat it upon the valve seat 32, which is located substantially centrally of the passage 23.

The end plate at one end retains the inner housing 15 within the outer housing I. At one end the shaft 4 is rotatable within the bearing unit 36 located in the end plate 35, and at the other end it is rotatable within the bearing unit 3'! located within the end plate 38. Both end plates 35 and 38 are connected to the main body of the housing 1 by means of the bolts 39. A retaining cap 4| has a seal 42 therein and is connected to end plate 38 to complete the enclosure at the end through which the shaft passes for connection to a driving means. At the other end of the pump enclosure is completed by the flange or closure cap which is connected to the end plate 35.

An internal gear as is pressed within the housing i and rigidly located therein, and a gear 44 is keyed to the shaft 4 to mesh with an idler which is interposed between the internal gear 43 and the gear 34. a

The gear 35 has the bushing 58 therein, and this establishes the rotative surface between the gear and the pin 6?, which is rigidly pressed into the flange MB. This flange 58 has the bushing 49 pressed therein as the bearing member to establish its rotative surface about the shaft 4, and

the idler 5! places it in mesh with the internal gear 56, which is rigidly pressed into the housing l. The flange 53 has the bushing 55 therein, which establishes its rotative surface about the shaft 4.

By virtue of this transmission, the impeller H, which is rigidly connected to the shaft 4, and which is driven thereby, may be driven at the speed of rotation of the shaft, whereas the inner housing 15 may be driven at a different speed, which is shown in the disclosure of this invention as being at a slower than shaft speed.

Assume the direction of rotation of the shaft 4 to be as indicated by the arrows in Figures 5, 6 and 7. Then when the elements are in posi-- tion shown in Fig, 5, fluid is passing into the pump through the connection 2 and is being transferred by the impeller 85 to pass out the connection 3. The connections 2 and 3 may be connected, for purposes of illustration. to the ends of a cylinder which encloses a piston. In this condition the valve 28 is seated within the passage 23.

As rotation continues, the inner housing I 5 moves toward the position shown in Fig. 6 and slowly decreases the communication between the connection 2 and the port 2!. The slot 9 being tapered toward the boss 5, reduces the area of passage of fluid between the outer housing I and the inner housin i5, and an excessive pressure is built up within the inner housing. The flow of fluid out the connection 3 to operate the piston of the hydraulic cylinder to which this connection leads, is substantially decreased as this condition develops; and. consequently the speed of the piston operation is appreciably decelerated. Finally the edge 6! of the port 2| comes into communication with the surface 7 of the boss 5 and completely closes off the passage of fluid between connection 2 and the inner housmg.

The pressures built up within the inner housing result in the lifting of the valve 29 so that the fluid entrapped within the inner housing flows around therein in a substantially circular path following the course of the port 2|, the opening :6 of the impeller, the port 22, and through the passage 23 past the valve 29 and back to the port 2 i As the rotation continues, the edge 69 of. the port 22 passes into communication with the slot l5 and the fluid, by virtue of the position of the impeller, as shown in Fig. 6, begins to circulate back out through the connection 2, and the diminishing of the excess pressures within the inner housing 15 results in the seating of the valve 29 to cut ofi flow through the passage 23.

- Then as the port 22 rotates into communication the flange 48 also has the gear 58 firmly pressed with the wider portions of the slot ill, there is a gradual increase of fluid, which is discharged through the connection 2, and consequently a gradual increase of the piston speed now on the opposite stroke. This volume of fluid and consequent speed of piston reach their maximum when the elements of the pump are in the position shown in Fig. '7.

It is obvious that the operation of this pump is susceptible to an infinite number of modifications, as the relative speed between impeller rotation and inner housing rotation may be varied, as by substituting a variable speed reducer system for the gear reduction system shown in Fig. 2. The operation of this pump may be varied by adjusting the bushing 26 against the spring 36 to regulate its tension so as to vary the lifting point of thevalve 29. The pump may alsobe designed for various conditions of operation by varying the shape of the slots and the bosses of the outer housing. Variation may also be obtained by varying the eccentricity of the opening I6 with relation to the shaft axis.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 8-11, the structural relation of outer and inner housings is similar to that shown in Figs. 1-7. However, in such embodiment, the outer housing III includes a closure plug II which has threaded holes I2 therein. A boss I3. is provided which has bored and counterbored holes I4 therein so that the boss may be adjustably positioned at any of several points on the closure plug by means of the screws I5. An inner housing I8 is mounted on the backing plate 11 which is connected to be driven by a transmission, not shown, which is mounted on the shaft I8. This transmission may be of the type disclosed in Figs. 2 and ,4, or it may be of any other conventional type as well. The inner housing has opposed ports I9 and 88 therein which are of greater peripheral-width than the adjustable boss I3 or the boss 8| which is integrally cast with the outer housing Ill.

An impeller means 82 for transferring fluid is mounted on the shaft I8 and in the form of the invention disclosed, this fluid transfer means is of the vane type as also shown in Figs. 1 and 5-7. This impeller rotates with the shaft I8 and at a greater speed than does the inner housing I8 which is driven by the transmission, not shown.

The outer housing ID has opposed connections 83 and 84 therein with connection axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis through the bosses I3 and 8 I. The outer housing also has compartments 85 and 86 therein which are in communication with the slots8'I and 88 respectively. A wall 89 separates the compartments and has thevalve seat 90 therein which is controlled by the valve 9|. Another valve, not shown, is mounted to control the valve seat 92 in the wall 89, this valve extending oppositely from the valve 8| and opening in the opposite direction in the compartment 85.

The outer housing also has slots 93 and 94 similar to the slots 81 and 88, and all of these slots are tapered in decreasing size toward the bosses I3 and 8|.

As shown in Fig. 9, with the impeller 82 and the inner housing I6 rotating in a clockwise direction, fluid enters through the connection 83 and is discharged out through the connection 84. When the inner housing has rotated to a position, shown in vFig. 10, fluid, circulates as shown by the arrows; and part of the fluid takes a path through the outer housing, through the port I9 of the inner housing, through the impeller, and out through the port 80 of the inner housing into the outer housing. The other portion of the fluid takes a similar path through the outer housing on the right side of the pump, through the port I9, through the impeller, and out through the port 88. into the outer housing. It should be noticed that in this embodiment of the invention, because the ports I9 and 88 have greater peripheral width than the bosses BI and I3, the ports are never closed and with this construction the deceleration as the inner housing approaches the position shown in Fig. and the acceleration as it moves away from this position; is much more gradual and imperceptible than in the previously embodiment of the invention disclosed. As the'inner'. housing I8 and the impeller 82 continue clockwise rotation,

' the: direction of fluid flow is reversed as shown "lll'Fi 11.

Should it be desired to discharge more fluid through one connection than is discharged through the other connection, it is only necessary to adjust the position of the boss I3. Should the boss be moved to the left hand side of the housing I0 more fluid will be discharged out of theright hand side of the outer housing through the connection 84 than is discharged through the As the fluid containing space of the inner housing and impeller remains constant, and is con- *stantly filled, it follows that the length of time a- 'port I9 or 80 can discharge in ne direction is'proportional to the volume of fluid delivered in that direction. However, should the pump tend to deliver an excess of fluid through the compartment 84 over compartment 85, lift the valve 9| from the seat the amount which may be discharged out therethrough, the excess fluid will circulate into the 98, and recirculate into the left hand side of the compartment. Should the pump tend to dis charge more fluid out of the connection 83 than "can be received out therethrough, the excess 1 fluid will circulate into the compartment 86. -,lift a valve, not shown, from the seat 92 and discharge through the compartment 85 and into "the right hand side of the pump. This overload feature is not limited to the form of over- .lo'ail valve disclosed, but any conventional overload means may be employed for the purpose.

A method of employing either embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figs. 12 and 13 in which a self reversing pump, as thepump having the outer housing I0, is mounted in the pumping unit I III which includes a power cylinder I02 which has a piston, not shown, therein which -moves up and down in the power cylinder. This piston is connected to the sucker rods I03 which line I04 into the power cylinder I 82 and on the return or down stroke of the piston; it discharges the fluid back through the line I05 into the surge tank I06. A series of valves I81 are provided near ,the top of the power cylinder I82, -,a11 but one of which remain closed. The valvewhich is open pump, not shown, operates in the well.

limits the upward travel of the piston within the power cylinder and thereby limits the vertical position at which the plunger of the bottom hole On the up stroke of the piston within the power cylinder,

. there is a possibility that an amount of fluid will pass upwardly above the piston into the space between the upper piston end and the top of the power cylinder. When this fluid is brought in contact with that valve III'I which may be open, fluid is discharged through the line H8 and passes into the reservoir III to bepicked up by the scavenger pump I I 2 and discharged in the surge tank I06.

'In the pumping unit disclosed, air storage tanks I I5 and I I6 are kept at desired pressure by means of the compressor ll'l," which is'driven by the prime mover 118 which also drives the self reversing pump employed. This compressor may be regulated by any type of conventional'or novel regulatory means, not shown, which will keep the compressor running whenever necessary to maintain a desired pressure within the air storage tanks. The air from the storage tanks H5 and I I6 communicates by means of the line I H), with the top of the surge tank I06, and keeps the fluid therein under a pressure to maintain the pumping unit counter-balanced.

Since it is desirable that the self reversing pump employed discharge more fluid 'on the power, or up stroke, of the piston within the cylinder I02 than it discharges back into the surge tank on the down stroke, the adjustment obtained by the boss '13 disclosed in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 8l1 is of particuiar advantage.

The housing I is shown threaded at 63 in Fig. 1 to receive a gauge of any conventional design, which is actuated by fluid communication thereinto'to indicate the position ofthe piston or element which is actuated by the pump. Such a gauge may be of the conventional type in which the pressure of fluid operates against well known means within the'base of the gauge to rotate the indicating dial of the gauge to various positions responsive to various pressures occurring in the gauge operating fluid. As the fluid pressure on the upstroke must be greater, because of the load to be lifted, then the fluid pressure on the downstroke, the dial indication of a higher pressure designates to the observer that the pump is supplying fluid to the power cylinder Hi2. As the stroke changes, the dial rotates back toward the lowest pressure indication on the gauge face, and then as the downstroke develops the dial indication increases as the pump transfers fluid into the'surge tank 16, but does not reach as high an indication asis reached on the power cylinder supplying stroke. In Fig. 2, such a gauge 63' is shown in the threaded bore 63, and such gauge 63' is also shown in Fig. 4.

It is particularly pointed out that this invention' is not limited to either of the embodiments hereinabove disclosed but other structures may be employed within the concept of the invention which broadly considers a self reversing pump which is designed to decelerate the speed .of a

piston or other element operated thereby as the reversal point is approached, and which is designed to accelerate the speed of the piston or device operated by vthe pump after the reversal point is passed. Any type of fluid transfer means within the inner housing is considered within the scope of the invention and also any type of 'trans mission is considered which will drive the inner housing at a speed different than that of the fluid transfer means which is mounted on the same shaft.

What is claimed is:

l. A self reversing pump to control the flow of an actuating liquid for a well pumping unit comprising, a housing, a flow chamber therethrough, an impeller rotatable in said chamber, a control member surrounding said impeller and constructed to determine the direction of flow of the liquid from said impeller, means supporting said impeller and said member and connected to positively drive said member and at a pre-determined rotational speed ratio relative to said impeller, control ports in said member for the inlet and outlet of liquid relative to said impeller, and means proj'ecting' into said housing from opposite sides thereof and with substantially common axis sub stantially perpendicular to the axis of said flow chamber to engage said member to divide said chamber into inlet and outlet portions depending upon the position of said member ports.

2. A self-reversing pump to control the flow of an actuating liquid for a well pumping unit, comprising a housing, a flow chamber therethrough, an impeller rotatable in said chamber, a control member surrounding said impeller and constricted to determine the direction of flow of the liquid from said impeller, means supporting said impeller and said member and connected to positively drive said member and ate, pre-determined rotational speed ratio relative to said impeller, control ports in said member for the inlet and outlet'of liquid relative to said impeller, means projecting into said housing from opposite sides thereof and with substantially common axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of said flow chamber to divide said chamber into inlet and outlet portions depending upon the position of said member ports, a liquid passageway in said control member extending between said ports therein and a valve intermediate the ends of said passageway for opening said passageway when a pre-determined excess liquid pressure is obtained therein on the outlet control port side of said valve to return liquid to the inlet control port side of said valve to reduce said excess pressure and to close when said pressure is reduced to a pre-determined limit.

3. A self-reversing pump to control the flower an actuating liquid for a well pumping unit com prising, a housing, a flow chamber therethrough, an impeller rotatable in said chamber, a control member surroundingsaid impeller and constricted to determine the direction of flow of the liquid from said impeller, means supporting said impeller and said member and connected to positively drive said member and at a pro-determined rotational speed ratio relative to said impeller, control parts in said member for the inlet and outlet of liquid relative to said impeller, means projecting into said housing from opposite sides thereof and with substantially common axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of said flow chamber to divide said chamber into inlet and outlet portions depending upon the position of said memberport, a liquid passageway in said housing connecting the flow chamber portion outwardly of said projecting means on one side of said projecting means axis with the flow passage portion outwardly of said projecting means on the other side of said projecting means axis, and a valve intermediate the ends of said passageway for opening said passageway when a pro-determined excess liquid pressure is obtained therein member surrounding said impeller and constrict ed to determine the direction of flow of the liquid from said impeller, means supporting saidimpeller and said member and connected to positively drive said member and at a predetermined rotational speed ratio relative to said impeller,

control ports in said member for the inlet and.

outlet of liquid relative to said impeller, means projecting into said housing from opposite sides thereof and with substantially common axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of said flow chamber to divide said chamber into inlet and outlet portions depending upon the position of said member port, a liquid passageway in said housing connecting the flow chamber portion outwardly of said projecting means on one side of said projecting means axis with the flow passage portion outwardly of said projecting means on the other side of said projecting means axis, and a valve intermediate the ends of said passageway for opening said passageway when a predetermined excess liquid pressure is obtained therein on the outlet control port side of said valve to return liquid to the inlet side of said flow chamber to reduce said excess pressure, and to close when said pressure is reduced to a pre-determined limit, the projecting means on at least one side of said housing being movable substantially parallel to the axis of said flow chamber to increase the flow chamber volume on one side of said projecting means axis and to decrease the flow chamber volume on the other side thereof.

5. A self-reversing pump to control the flow of an actuating liquid for a well pumping unit comprising, a housing, a flow chamber therethrough, an impeller rotatable in said chamber, a control member surrounding said impeller and constricted to determine the direction of flow of the liquid from said impeller, means supporting said impeller and said member and connected to positively drive said member and at a predetermined rotational speed ratio relative to said impeller, control ports in said member for the inlet and outlet of liquid relative to said impeller, means 10 projecting into said housing from opposite sides thereof and with substantially common axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of said flow chamber to divide said chamber into inlet and outlet portions depending upon the position of said member ports, a liquid passageway in said control member extending between said ports therein and a valve intermediate to the ends of said passageway for opening said passageway when a pre-determined excess liquid pressure is obtained therein on the outlet control port side of said valve to return liquid to the inlet control port side of said valve to reduce said excess pressure and to close when said pressure is reduced to a pre-determined limit, the projecting means on at least one side of said housing being movable substantially parallel to the axis of said flow chamber to increase the flow chamber volume on one side of said projecting means axis and to decrease the flow chamber volume on the other side thereof.

LOUIS FINCI-IER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,611,895 Dienner Dec. 28, 1926 1,909,659 Clapp May 16, 1933 1,946,510 'I'ruesdell Feb. 13, 1934 1,964,330 Pitt June 26, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 516,790 Great Britain 1940 

